Vibratory straight line feeder

ABSTRACT

A linear vibratory parts feeder including a counterbalance weight which is connected to a parts container by means of flat leaf springs. A motor drive is mounted on the counterbalance weight and is connected to the parts container for vibrating it. A pair of limit blocks are fixed to the base and have a complementary configuration to recesses in the counterbalance weight. A second set of flat leaf springs is fixed to the counterbalance weight and the limit blocks. The limit blocks prevent excessive damaging deformation of the second set of leaf springs during shipment and handling but do not interfere with actual operation of the parts feeder.

United States Patent 1191 Hacker VIBRATORY STRAIG HT LINE FEEDER [76] inventor: Harold R. Hacker, 522 Woodview Drive, Noblesville, lnd. 46060 abandoned.

52 us. 01 ..19s/220 cs, 310/29 51 1m. (:1 ..B65g 27/00 581 Field of Search ..310/29; 198/220 R,

198/220 A, 220 CA, 220 CB, 220 DC [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Long 198/220 c1;

111 3,729,090 451 Apr. 24, 1973 Primary Examiner-Even C. Blunk Assistant ExaminerHadd S. Lane Attorney-C. David Emhardt et al.

[ 5 7 ABSTRACT A linear vibratory parts feeder including a counterbalance weight which is connected to a parts container by means of flat leaf springs. A motor drive is mounted on the counterbalance weight and is connected to the parts container for vibrating it. A pair of limit blocks are fixed to the base and have a complementary configuration to recesses in the counterbalance weight. A second set of flat leaf springs is fixed to the counterbalance weight and the limit blocks. The limit blocks prevent excessive damaging deformation of the second set of leaf springs during shipment and handling but do not interfere with actual operation of the parts feeder.

7 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures 54 I v I Patented April 24, 1973 FigZ.

. l. INVENTOR (mi 26' HAmLo 14 Hacks:

- /um/w/,lnmtwmir fl@ nin ATTORNEYS cation Ser. No. 33,439, filed April 30, 1970, now aban' doned.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to vibratory parts feeders.

2. Description of the Prior Art Many vibratory feeders utilize flat leaf springs to support a container above a base with an electromagnet mounted on the base being utilized to vibrate the container. It is possible to damage the leaf springs during the handling and shipment of the feeder by moving the container sufficiently with respect to the base so asto exceed the elastic limit of the leaf springs. Disclosed herein is structure for limiting movement of the leaf Springs so as to prevent damage thereto.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION linear vibratory parts feeder including a parts container, a counterbalance weight, spring means'connect- 1 ing said weight and said container, means mounted on said weight for vibrating said container, at base, and means for mounting said base on supporting structure; the improvement which comprises a limit member fixed to said base, flat leaf springs mounting said weight on said limit member, said limit member being spaced from said weight a sufficient distance to permit elastic deformation of said flat leaf springs during operation of said feeder but closely enough spaced to prevent damage to said flat leaf springs by excessive deformation thereof.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view ofa linear vibratory parts feeder embodying the present invention; and

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section taken as if through one end of the Figure of FIG. 1 of an alternative embodiment of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring now more particularly to the drawings, there is illustrated a linear parts feeder which includes a parts container 1 1 consisting of a trough along which parts are moved by vibration of the container. The parts container or trough 11 is driven and vibrated back and forth by a motor 12 fixedly mounted on a counterbalance weight or block 15 and having its armature 16 coupled to the parts container 11. The, parts container 11 has downwardly projecting portions 17 which are coupled to two sets of flat leaf springs 20. The springs 20 are not vertical and instead are inclined as illustrated so that the parts container 11 is caused to move up and down by reason of the springs bending in a direction perpendicular to the flatness of the springs while the motor 12 vibrates the parts container 11. Such movement causes the parts container 11 to intermittently move the parts in the direction away from which the springs 20 are inclined.

The parts feeder is mounted on a base including a flat horizontal member 26 and removable mountingears 27. Three of the removable mounting ears 27 are provided with only two being shown in FIG. 1. The mounting ears 27 can be removed to facilitate mounting the linear parts feeder in cramped spaces. Fixed to the member 26 are limit blocks or members 30 to each of which is fixed a vertically extending flat leaf spring 31 by washer 28 and screws 29. Each of the flat leaf springs 31 is also fixed to the counterbalance weight or block 15 by screws 33 and washer 34. The spacer 34 spaces the spring 31 away from counterbalance weight The springs 20 as well as the springs 31 have a tendency to bend only in a direction perpendicular to the flatness of the springs. During operation the springs 31 bend only about one fourth as much as the springs 20.

The function of the limit blocks 30 is to block movement of the counterbalance weight 15 longitudinally thereof during handling and shipment so as to prevent excessive bending and damage to the springs 31. The limit blocks 30, however, are spaced sufficiently from the counterbalance weight 15 so that in normal operation of the device there is no contact between thelimit blocks 30 and the counterbalance weight 15. It will be noted that the counterbalance weight 15 has two recesses 32 which are complementary in configuration to the limit members 30. The counterbalance weight 15 has a downwardly projecting portion 35 which extends between the limit members 30 so that no matter which direction, either toward one of the springs 31 or toward the other spring 31 that the counterbalance weight moves, this movement is limited and the springs are protected.

The removable mounting ears 27 may be secured to a supporting element or surface by means of hollow externallY threaded members 40. In the manner described in my co-pending application, Serial No. 119, the externally threaded members or bolts have hollow interiors 41 and are vertically adjustable with respect to the mounting ears 27 by means of nuts 42 positioned on opposite sides of the mounting ears. The hollow members 40 are fixed to the supporting surface by means of bolts which extend through the hollow interiors 41.

Referring now to FIG. 2, some of the details of the structure of FIG. 1 are illustrated and also an alternative embodiment is shown. This alternative embodi ment is identical to the structure illustrated in FIG. 1 with exception that the lower base plate or member 26 is drilled out and counterbored to form a lower base plate member 26 with this drilling out being accomplished at the holes or openings which normally receive the screws 51 fixing the limit members 30 to the base plate 26. There is also added a riser plate 52 which can have any vertical dimension, thus permitting adjusting the vertical position of the parts receptacle 11. The riser plate 52 has threaded bores which receive the screws 51 and fix the limit members 30 in position. The cap screws 54 fix the plate 26' to the riser plate 52. The vertically extending flat leaf springs 31 are each fixed to the limit members 30 by a pair of cap screws 56. Alternatively the riser plate 52 can be welded to the lower base plate or member 26'.

It will be evident from the above description that the present invention provides an improved straight line vibratory parts feeder which incorporates means for vention incorporates means for isolating the vibration produced in the device so that little vibration is transmitted through the base plate 26 or 26 to the supporting element or surface.

The invention claimed is:

1. In a vibratory parts feeder combination having a parts container, a counterbalance weight, means connecting said weight and said container, means connected to said weight being operable to vibrate said container, a base, flexible leaf springs mounting said weight on said base, wherein the improvement comprises:

said base has limit means with a surface spaced from but adjacent to said weight, said limit means surface directly contacts and limits movement of said weight during excessive deformation of said leaf springs.

2. In a linear vibratory parts feeder including a parts container, a counterbalance weight, spring means connecting said weight and said container, means mounted on said weight for vibrating said container, a base, and means for mounting said base on supporting structure; the improvement which comprises a limit member fixed to said base, flat leaf springs mounting said weight on said limit member, said limit member being spaced from said weight a sufficient distance to permit elastic deformation of said flat leaf springs during operation of said feeder but closely enough spaced to prevent damage to said flat leaf springs by excessive deformation thereof, said feeder additionally comprising a second limit member, said second limit member also being fixed to said base, said weight having recesses therein complementary in configuration to said limit members, said weight having a downwardly projecting portion which extends between said limit members.

3. The linear vibratory parts feeder of claim 2 additionally comprising a riser plate forming a part of said base, said riser plate having said limit members fixed thereto, said base including a second member to which said riser plate is fixed, said means for mounting said base on supporting structure comprising removable mounting ears secured to said second member.

4. The linear vibratory parts feeder combination of: a parts container; a counterbalance weight; means connecting said weight and said container; means connected to said weight for vibrating said container; base structure having limit means directly contactable with said weight limiting horizontal movement thereof; and, flat leaf springs mounting said weight on said base structure, said leaf springs being structure in addition to said base structure and said limit means. 5. The linear vibratory parts feeder combination of: a parts container; a counterbalance weight; spring means connecting said weight and said container; first means mounted on said weight for vibrating said container; base structure having limit means contactable with said weight limiting horizontal movement thereof; flat leaf springs mounting said weight on said base structure; and wherein: said limit means has a first block with a vertical surface spaced from but adjacent to said weight.

6. The combination of claim 5 wherein:

said weight has a recess complementary in configuration to said first block.

7. The combination of claim 6 wherein:

said limit means has a second block with another vertical surface spaced from but adjacent to said weight;

said weight has another recess complementary in configuration to said second block; and,

said first and second blocks are positioned at opposite ends of said weight. 

1. In a vibratory parts feeder combination having a parts container, a counterbalance weight, means connecting said weight and said container, means connected to said weight being operable to vibrate said container, a base, flexible leaf springs mounting said weight on said base, wherein the improvement comprises: said base has limit means with a surface spaced from but adjacent to said weight, said limit means surface directly contacts and limits movement of said weight during excessive deformation of said leaf springs.
 2. In a linear vibratory parts feeder including a parts container, a counterbalance weight, spring means connecting said weight and said container, means mounted on said weight for vibrating said container, a base, and means for mounting said base on supporting structure; the improvement which comprises a limit member fixed to said base, flat leaf springs mounting said weight on said limit member, said limit member being spaced from said weight a sufficient distance to permit elastic deformation of said flat leaf springs during operation of said feeder but closely enough spaced to prevent damage to said flat leaf springs by excessive deformation thereof, said feeder additionally comprising a second limit member, said second limit member also being fixed to said base, said weight having recesses therein complementary in configuration to said limit members, said weight having a downwardly projecting portion which extends between said limit members.
 3. The linear vibratory parts feeder of claim 2 additionally comprising a riser plate forming a part of said base, said riser plate having said limit members fixed thereto, said base including a second member to which said riser plate is fixed, said means for mounting said base on supporting structure comprising removable mounting ears secured to said second member.
 4. The linear vibratory parts feeder combination of: a parts container; a counterbalance weight; means connecting said weight and said container; means connected to said weight for vibrating said container; base structure having limit means directly contactable with said weight limiting horizontal movement thereof; and, flat leaf springs mounting said weight on said base structure, said leaf springs being structure in addition to said base structure and said limit means.
 5. The linear vibratory parts feeder combination of: a parts container; a counterbalance weight; spring means connecting said weight and said container; first means mounted on said weight for vibrating said container; base structure having limit means contactable with said weight limiting horizontal movement thereof; flat leaf springs mounting said weight on said base structure; and wherein: said limit means has a first block with a vertical surface spaced from but adjacent to said weight.
 6. The combination of claim 5 wherein: said weight has a recess complementary in configuration to said first block.
 7. The combination of claim 6 wherein: said limit means has a second block with another vertical surface spaced from but adjacent to said weight; said weight has another recess complementary in configuration to said second block; and, said first and second blocks are positioned at opposite ends of said weight. 